the delicious smell of a freshly cut Christmas tree in the living room,

the making of a gingerbread house with my son,

Christmas carols playing softly

and the mistletoe where I wait for my husband when he comes home from work :)

But these aren't the only reasons I love Christmas,

my number one reason for loving this holiday so much

is being able to celebrate the greatest gift the world received -

Jesus Christ!

I am so thankful that Jesus Christ came to earth to be born of a virgin

so that I and all man-kind could receive Him as Lord and Savior!

"And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS:for he shall save his people from their sins.Behold a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son,and they shall call his name Emmanuel,which being interpreted is, God with us."
Matthew 1:21,23

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given:and the government shall be upon his shoulder:and his name shall be calledWonderful,Counselor,The Mighty God,The everlasting Father,The Prince of Peace."
Isaiah 9:6

I am truly in awe of the love God has shown us by sending His Son
to come to earth to die upon the cross at Calvary for the entire world.

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son,that whosoever believeth in him should not perish,but have everlasting life.For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world;but that the world through him might be saved."
John 3:16,17"In this was manifested the love of God toward us,because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world,that we might live through him."
1 John 4:9

So my main reason for loving Christmas - celebrating my Savior's birth.
I do love the other joy's of Christmas and I enjoy each one,
but nothing can compare to the humble birth of Lord and Savior.
I hope you, dear friends, are celebrating the real reason for this lovely season.

Now for a little Christmas tradition....

My mom bought ornaments every year for Christmas for my sister and me since we were born.

She then gave us our collected ornaments when we got married.

I have also started doing this with my son

and will give him his ornaments when he has a family of his own.

Each year when we decorate the tree

I love unwrapping the treasured Christmas ornaments from years gone by.

A lot of them have sweet memories behind them

and I enjoy reminiscing :)

Here are a few of my favorites. . .

I got this cute guy when I was only one.

I remember every year I would play with it.

In fact, my mom had to hot glue it several times

since I couldn't keep my hands off of him :)

I made this ornament in Sunday School when I was 2 or 3 years old.

It's not in the greatest shape, but it's still holding up after 24 years.

I always enjoyed reading this mini Hershey's cookbook when I was younger.

I am a book-lover so I thought it was great that books could be ornaments.

My mom gave me this sweet tea cup ornament after I was married.

She knows I love tea cups and this has become a favorite of mine.

I found 8 of these pretty glass balls at a garage sale
so I got them and put them away in my hope chest
to use when I got married :)

Can of Berries

Book Flower Bouquet

Letter Station

Fabric Posies

Shabby Mobile

Bee Happy Mug

German Chocolate Brownies

Peach & Strawberry Cobbler

Blackberry Cobbler

Apple Pie Cookies

Peach Cookies

Lemon Cake Cookies

Apple Cake

Ice Box Cakes

Rhubarb Cake

Banana Cake

Pumpkin Crumble Cake

Pumpkin Cake

Raspberry Danishes

Rhubarb Turnovers

Fried Hand Pies

Raspberry Cookies

Cinnamon Rolls

Craft Room Tour

. . . . . .The Home. . . . . .

“I believe that a godly home is a foretaste of heaven. Our homes, imperfect as they are, must be a haven from the chaos outside. They should be a reflection of our eternal home, where troubled souls find peace, weary hearts find rest, hungry bodies find refreshment, lonely pilgrims find communion, and wounded spirits find compassion.” -Jani Ortlund

***All photos on this blog are taken by me, unless otherwise stated. When using photos that are not mine than I will give credit where credit is due. Please do not copy my photos or posts without first asking permission, thank you. The writings on this blog are entirely my own thoughts and ramblings.***